Hardeeville hires city manager for $90,000

Robert “Bob” Nanni, 62, has been named Hardeeville city manager after a unanimous vote by City Council on Wednesday during a special executive session.

Nanni’s hiring ends a search for a city manager that started when Ted Felder resigned Feb. 1. Nanni will start work Monday going through a transition period with Carey Smith whose contract expires Nov. 30. He will be paid $90,000 annually and have a city-issued vehicle.

Nanni most recently served as chief of operations from 2008-2011 for the Osceola County School District in Florida. Before that, he worked for two years in the private sector managing residential community development districts in Central Florida.

He served from 2002-2006 as assistant county manager for Osceola County and as deputy city manager. He was city manager for the City of Palm Bay, Fla., from 1994-2002 where he was also the public works director from 1991-1994.

Additional experience in the private sector includes work with General Motors, Roadway Express Inc. and NCR Corp.

Nanni is a graduate of Defiance College in Ohio with a bachelor of arts in economics and finance and a master’s of science degree in business management from Central Michigan University.

Nanni was born and raised in northeast Pennsylvania. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force. His wife, Jodie, works as an educator. The Nannis have one son, Sam, 15, and one daughter, Carina, 31.

“He has great experience and will do a very fine job with the city,” Smith said. “The compensation package is competitive with the area and will give him room to grow.”

A total of 66 people submitted applications for the position, and the candidates were winnowed down to the last group from which Nanni was chosen. Also in the final three were Jeffrey E. Repp of Cumberland, Md., and Oel Wingo of Reddick, Fla.

The selection process was carried out with Slavin Management Consultants of Norcross, Ga.

“This was a united decision on the part of the council,” said Hardeeville Mayor Bronco Bostick. “What I was concerned about was getting a man with a lot of experience. And one of the things I was pushing for was not to exceed Beaufort, Bluffton or Jasper County salaries. He’s done a lot of economic development, bringing in businesses. We all felt he was the right guy for the job.”

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